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For a European city trip in the off-season, Athens is the perfect destination. I always struggle to decide where to go in October or November for a decent chance at good weather. Turns out that Athens is the answer! A few days of 20-25°C sunshine quickly made me...
For a European city trip in the off-season, Athens is the perfect destination. I always struggle to decide where to go in October or November for a decent chance at good weather. Turns out that Athens is the answer! A few days of 20-25°C sunshine quickly made me forget we were already wearing winter coats back home. It was my first time visiting the Greek capital, and during that time I explored the many different neighborhoods with their interesting, iconic sights and great food. In this post, I’m sharing my top tips for the best things to do in Athens, along with some practical tips for getting around the city and my favorite boutique hotels. 1. The...
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A visit to Tainan should definitely be part of your Taiwan itinerary. Not only was Tainan the official capital of Taiwan between 1624 and 1887, it is also Taiwan's oldest city. And did you know that this part of Taiwan was once a Dutch colony (between 1624-1662 and...
I'm not sure how long I'll be able to keep this up, but for now I'm trying to avoid trips that require getting on an airplane. Which means that if I do want to travel abroad, I look for places just across the border. So when I received an invite to visit Essen and...
It's my first time in Chicago. In a week I'll be starting a new job and even though I didn't know that when I started planning several months ago, the timing is now kind of perfect. Traveling 'in between jobs' always gives me that extra sense of freedom where I don't...
With its location in the heart of Flanders Mechelen is the perfect destination for a day trip from Brussels or Antwerp. Or - in my case - a nice weekend break. When I arrive at Mechelen station, I'm surpised it takes me less than two hours to get here from The Hague...
After the first couple of days in Tokyo, we continue our trip through Japan in Kyoto. By now the worst of that terrible jet-lag (that never seems to end) is behind us. And we're getting better at finding our way in this country that feels so structured and organised,...
I often have to remind myself to look up when I'm exploring a city. But sometimes a city's best kept secrets are hidden underground. For two years I was living right above an important part of London history: the deep-level shelters at Clapham South. Built during...
Blenheim Palace is a bit of a movie star. It starred in The Royals (with Elizabeth Hurley as queen of England), in The Young Queen Victoria, Cinderella, and Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Just to name a few. Add the fact that Sir Winston Churchill was...
There was one building that I really wanted to visit during the Open House London weekend: The Foreign & Commonwealth Office. Last year I'd seen Kelly share pictures of the building on her blog and it looked amazing. Since I had a million other things to...
Back in March, a friend suggested to get tickets to visit Highclere Castle, better known as Downton Abbey. I knew Downton Abbey was serious business in (and outside) the UK, but being among friends I thought I could speak freely, saying that I would love to join...
Now that's an entrance designed to impress! Even though the history of Eltham Palace goes back centuries (it was an important royal residence between the 14th and 16th century), it were the millionaires Stephen and Virginia Courtauld who in the 1930s turned it into...
Until recently the only way I knew Osterley was as one of the many stops on the Piccadilly line to Heathrow. It's when you know you're not in zone 1 or 2 anymore because you're above the ground (and can use your phone). I never thought any of these stops would be...
Looking back on my years at the University of Amsterdam, I was pretty lucky to study in interesting historic college buildings. I spent most of my time in the East India House, which was the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in the 17th century....
Once upon a time there was a politician / writer - also known for being the son of Britain's first Prime Minister - who wanted to build a summer villa in London. Not just any villa, but a Gothic castle that would be a theatrical experience to visit. Sir...
There's fashion. And then there's Alexander McQueen. There are art exhibitions...And then there's Savage Beauty at the V&A in London. Savage Beauty has raised the standard for all future V&A exhibitions to come. It's now been two days since I visited the...
I was not going to miss it this year! The first time I heard about it - I had just moved to London - it was after the fact. The next year I had already booked a trip to Madrid. So no, no matter what, I would not miss it this year. For someone who wishes...
Extravagant royal parties and the execution of one of its hosts. That's basically what the Banqueting House in central London is known for. Since I'm a sucker for a happy ending, I wasn't really interested in the death part, but more in seeing where the...
The Victoria & Albert Museum is one of my favorite museums in London. Their collection is incredible and every time I visit, I discover a new floor or wing that I hadn't seen before. This weekend I walked around the museum with my camera for a couple of...
Old houses fascinate me. I wouldn't necessarily want to live in one, but I love to visit them and pretend for a moment that I do. Walking down the grand staircase, reading a book in front of the fireplace in a library filled with books... It's not often that you can...
I realize that I've been focussing more on the 'where to eat' than the 'what to do' in London. What can I say? I'm one of those people who are always hungry. Anyway, this weekend I felt I needed to make more of an effort and cross some cultural things of my huge...
Happy New Year! I took a little break from blogging at the end of the year (who has time for blogging anyway when there's so much food that needs to be eaten?). But I'm excited to start 2015 and make plans for all the trips I want to take and things I want to do in...
What year did I just walk into? I was expecting to see 17th century artwork, not real people walking around as if they had just stepped out of a painting. What I learned later on was that they were hosting a special event to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the...
Isn't it interesting to see how people - of all ages - are drawn to water? Turn on a fountain in the middle of the city on a summer's day and they'll be tempted to jump in. This water installation at the South Bank by Danish artist Jeppe Hein is called...
Someone clearly wasn't paying attention when deciding how to name this house in Hackney. Thomas Sutton, founder of the Charterhouse school (a boarding school in Surrey) was the neighbor, but never lived in the house named after him. So what makes Sutton House worth a...
The British Library is not just like any other library. It has treasures! And good ones too. They're so good that unfortunately you're not allowed to take photos of them. But take my word for it: it's worth the visit. As the national library of the United Kingdom, the...
I have a serious weak spot for hardcover books with beautiful photography. My iPad is fine for reading novels, but nothing beats sitting at your dining room table on a Sunday afternoon, drinking a cup of tea and flipping through the pages of a beautiful book. As an...
In my one year in London I still haven't spotted any 'real' celebrities. Which you'd think shouldn't be that difficult. After all, this city has so many of them. The problem is: they keep moving around! And since I have better things to do than chasing them in my free...
I'm a bit ashamed to admit that every time I left the city last year, it was to fly to another country, not to explore the rest of the UK. This weekend I headed up north to attend Traverse 2014, a travel bloggers event in Newcastle. After the inspiring...
In my first year as a new Londoner, I spent most of my time getting to know the cultural and foodie highlights of this city. Sure, I started reading an English newspaper and watched the BBC news, but I can't say I'm quite the expert yet when it comes to the British...
As with many other fashion designers, I could say that I knew of Paul Smith, but I didn't know much about him. So an exhibition with the name 'Hello, my name is Paul Smith' sounded like a good introduction into the life and work of this British designer. As much as I...
My monthly rent in London might make you think that I'm living in a castle... I'm actually not. I'm still waiting for the day that some prince or knight in shining armour will invite me to live in his (or just a nice mansion with people that will cook and clean...